Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Imagine the looks on your campers’ faces if you told them you were making chicken cordon bleu for dinner. This is a fancy classic French dish made of chicken breasts (pounded flat) stuffed with ham and Swiss cheese. Each stuffed chicken breast is then rolled in bread crumbs and baked. Now, while you could make it this way in camp and bake them in a Dutch or box oven, we found an easy way to make it casserole style, which is great if you’re feeding a crowd.

This casserole has all the flavors of chicken cordon bleu, including the crunchy breadcrumb topping, without the labor, and, if you are feeding a crowd, a casserole is always a good way to go. Much of the prep work could be done at home before you go so that when you get to camp it’s just “some assembly required.”

The chicken can be cooked at home and cubed along with the ham, and the cheeses could be grated at home. Everything can be loaded into containers for the ride to camp in your cooler.

You could also modify this by adding some broccoli to it. You could also kick it up a notch and add some bacon bits giving it more of a club sandwich flavor.

Equipment
12-inch Dutch oven or 9×13 baking dish, and a skillet

Ingredients
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups small-cubed ham
1 1/4 cups grated Swiss cheese
1 1/4 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
4 cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
salt and black pepper

Prep
At home before you go, cook the chicken breasts by either grilling, frying, baking or poaching, and cube them. Cube the ham and grate the cheeses. Load everything into containers or resealable bags for the ride to camp in your cooler. The cheeses could be combined in one container.

In camp, foil line (if you’re going to) and/or grease your Dutch oven. Put about a third of chicken in a layer in the bottom. Top with half the ham. Sprinkle over 1/4 cup of the mixed cheese. Repeat 1 more time, then finish with a layer of chicken.

You’ll probably want to start your coals about now.

In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Put the panko in a bowl, pour in half of the melted butter, mix well and set aside. Add the flour to the remaining butter in the skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, whisking out any lumps. Whisk in the milk, broth, Dijon and cayenne and let it cook until it begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 cup of the cheese until melted. Season with salt and pepper. Go easy on the salt because the ham will bring some saltiness. You can always add more salt at the table.

Pour the sauce over the casserole. Sprinkle over the remaining 1 cup cheese, then the panko mix. Bake in a 350°F oven, using 17 coals on the lid and 8 underneath, for 25-30 minutes until the top is browned and the casserole is bubbling.

Makes about 6 servings. Serve with buttered noodles or a rice pilaf, and some green vegetables or a salad.

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Hot Dogs and Beans! A Winning Combo!

July 13 was National Beans and Franks Day. Today, July 15, is National Hot Dog Day.

Hot dogs are a camping and backyard grilling classic. They’re also a beloved protein of just about every kid I know.

In the summer, we’re probably grilling dogs at least once a week either in camp or in the backyard. In the winter, I’ll slice them in half lengthwise and fry them for a sandwich or a bowl of ramen or I’ll serve them alongside a pile of macaroni and cheese. I don’t know where I learned that but I love those two side by side; however, I’ve never mixed them together. I might have to try that!

Speaking of mixing together, two things that go really well when combined are hot dogs and beans. I remember eating a lot of beans and wieners on camping trips as a kid. The easiest way to make them is to open a can of your favorite baked beans and add sliced hot dogs to them and heat them together. It’s a tasty, hearty meal that is super simple to make and is easy on the budget. It makes a winner dinner for a beginning grub master. This is a great meal for a Friday night roll into camp because you can have dinner on the picnic table in less than 30 minutes. It also uses only one skillet for easy cleanup.

If you want a little more control over the ingredients, beans and franks are also easy to make from scratch. Again, it’s simply a can of beans and some sliced hot dogs and then the fun begins as you dress it up any way you like. Here’s one of my favorites. It is sweet and savory, and has complex flavors. Every spoonful is a little different.

This recipe is easily scalable. Cut the recipe in half for 2 or scale it up for as many as you need to feed (and your skillet can hold)! We use all beef hot dogs and, depending on the size of your hot dogs, you may want to halve or quarter them lengthwise before you slice them. I use a 4-ounce can of fire roasted diced green chiles, but you could substitute something fresh and as mild or as hot as you like. I use red bell pepper and yellow onion because we almost always have those on hand, but you could substitute to your liking. For some additional heat and flavor, you can add a splash of your favorite hot sauce or some red pepper flakes.

Ingredients
4 bacon strips, cooked and cut into 1 inch pieces
4 all-beef hot dogs, sliced
1/2 cup diced bell pepper (red, yellow, orange or green)
1/2 cup onion (yellow or white), diced
1 tablespoon spicy mustard
1/4 cup ketchup
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
30 ounces Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup (4-ounce can) fire roasted diced green chiles, mild or hot

Prep
Slice the hot dogs, and dice the bell pepper and onion. Pop the top on the can of diced green chiles or, if you’re using fresh, dice those. In a small bowl, combine the mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, black pepper, and salt. To this, you’d add your splash of hot sauce or red pepper flakes, but that’s optional.

On medium heat, warm a large skillet or cast iron pan. Fry the bacon to your liking, remove, and set aside on a paper towel. Drain off any excess bacon grease, but leave enough to sauté the hot dogs and vegetables. To the skillet, add the bell pepper, onion, chiles (if using fresh), and sliced hot dogs, stirring until the hot dogs are browned and the vegetables are soft and caramelized. Slice bacon and add to skillet along with Great Northern beans, chiles (if using canned), and sauce. Continue to heat and stir until all ingredients have combined and sugar has fully dissolved. Serve hot with a cold potato, pasta or green salad on the side.

Serves about  4.

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On Top of Spaghetti

I’m not sure why, but spaghetti seems to be one of the most popular meals young scouts make on their first campout. I suspect one reason might be that mom or dad actually made the sauce at home and, in camp, all the scout has to do is warm it, cook the pasta, and combine the two.

Another reason might be that spaghetti can be pretty easy for a young chef if they are simply using a jarred sauce. Again, all they have to do is warm the sauce, cook the pasta, and combine. Meat is optional. But if they wanted a meat sauce, it’s not difficult to brown ground beef, sausage, turkey, or plant-based protein before they add the sauce or they could add a bag of Italian-style meatballs to their sauce. And, let’s admit it, meatballs are just fun! Who doesn’t like a plate of spaghetti and meatballs?!

The dish is actually named for the type of noodle used, which is long, thin, solid, cylindrical pasta. The sauce is a tomato sauce with meat and/or vegetables. A meat-based sauce is typically called a ragù and is a type of sauce, which should not be confused with the brand of jarred sauce found in most grocery stores.

The great thing about ragù sauces is that there are a million variations. Some are heavy, hearty and much more suited to cold, winter days. Others are light, herby and more suited to the warmer spring or autumn seasons. I can’t say that we eat a lot of spaghetti in the middle of summer although we have been known to toss together some vegetables and pasta with diced tomatoes, but it’s not what I would call a traditional spaghetti and ragù sauce.

If you don’t want to or have the time to make a sauce from scratch, jarred sauces are great to use as a base. I call them a base because they are middle of the road as far as flavor goes so they can appeal to a mass audience. If I am using a jarred sauce, I always tweak it and I encourage you to do the same.

Even though most jarred sauces have oregano and basil in them already, I always add more. I’ll add parsley, and maybe some onion powder and garlic powder. Sometimes I’ll add some red pepper flakes for a bit of heat. Other options include marjoram and chili powder.

Here’s what I do when I’m not following a recipe and I’m starting with a jarred sauce: I taste the sauce and then I start grabbing spice jars and sniffing and my nose tells me what to add. Let your nose and your taste buds guide you and you’ll end up with a great sauce.

So, if you’re looking for a quick and easy spaghetti sauce grab a jar and go for it. When you’ve got it to your liking, add some meatballs and pasta and serve it with a salad and some garlic bread. Your hungry campers will love it!

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Tex-Mex Tater Tot Casserole

This is a great year-round dish. It’s hot and hearty, it packs a little heat to warm your belly, but it is surprisingly light. So, regardless of the season or the climate, this is a great dish. It’s also very versatile and can be easily customized to your tastes and dietary needs. For example, we have a family member who can’t have corn so we serve the corn on the side and those of us who can have corn simply mix it in on our plates.

The black beans could be swapped out for a different kind of bean. The green chiles could be swapped for something hotter. The taco seasoning can be adjusted as can the cheese blend. I encourage you to modify and make it your own, but first try this version because it is pretty darned good.

At home, you can make this using a skillet and a casserole dish or, if your skillet is large enough and oven proof, you could make it all in the one skillet. In camp, you could make this using the same skillet and casserole dish combo with a box oven or you could do the whole thing in a Dutch oven.

Start to finish, this takes about an hour to get on the table, which is nice and while it’s baking, you can prepare your side dishes. I recommend a green salad with a cool creamy dressing, cornbread, or simply a handful of chips. You’ll also want to have some sour cream and salsa handy, as well as a good hot sauce for those who like it spicy! Chop some fresh cilantro for a garnish and serve with a pitcher of lemonade and/or margaritas.

Equipment
12-inch skillet, 9×13 casserole dish, and box oven; or 12-inch Dutch oven

Ingredients for casserole
1 pound ground beef
1/2 onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
1 batch taco seasoning mix (see my recipe below) or you could use a store-bought packet
1 (4-ounce) can green chiles
1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.4-ounce) bag frozen corn
1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce
3 cups shredded cheddar and Monterey jack cheese or your favorite mexi-blend, divided
4-5 cups frozen tater tots
Cilantro, optional garnish
Sour cream, optional

Taco Seasoning Mix
(This is for 1-pound of ground protein)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cumin
3-6 dashes of Tabasco sauce, added separately (I mixed it into the enchilada sauce)

Prep
Prep coals or preheat oven for 375°F. For home or a box oven, spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Over coals or a camp stove or stove top, on medium heat, using a 12-inch skillet or a Dutch oven, brown the ground beef and sauté the onion until thoroughly cooked. Drain off excess fat if you need to. Add the taco seasoning, enchilada sauce, green chiles, black beans, frozen corn and stir until combined. Simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes.

For the skillet/casserole dish to oven method, pour the meat mixture into the casserole dish, sprinkle on 2 cups of the cheese, and gently place the tator tots on top (you don’t want them mixed in). Make sure the tator tots are spread evenly over the top in one layer. The casserole dish can go into a 375°F box oven or home oven. The box oven will need about 15 coals.

For the skillet or Dutch oven method, remove from heat and let it rest for just a moment to stop bubbling. Sprinkle on 2 cups of the cheese, and gently place the tator tots on top (you don’t want them mixed in). Make sure the tator tots are spread evenly over the top in one layer. The skillet can go directly into the 375°F oven. The Dutch oven can be lidded and moved to coals on the top and bottom for a 375°F oven. A 12-inch Dutch oven will need about 27 coals (18 on the top and 9 underneath).

Bake for 35-40 minutes then sprinkle the remaining cup of cheese over the top and bake another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with chopped cilantro, sour cream, chips and salsa, salad, and/or cornbread.

Serves about 8.

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Fractured Tacos

If you’re cooking for picky eaters or you’re having to work around a lot of allergies, setting up any kind of build-your-own bar makes meal times easy and hassle free. Campers can go through the chow line and pick what they want to eat, so there are no excuses not to like what they’re eating. Fractured tacos is a perfect BYO dinner or lunch and it is fast and easy to get onto the picnic table.

At home, fractured tacos is a quick and easy meal that can be thrown together on the fly. We almost always have all the ingredients in the house, so no run to the grocery store is needed.

I believe the name “Fractured Tacos” comes from taco shells that broke before they could be used, but because it was camp and it was all we had, we used the broken pieces and ate our tacos in a bowl. Taco shells never seem to survive the ruggedness of camping without breaking so, eventually, we gave up using them. Instead of taco shells, we now use chips, and if the chips get broke, who cares?

For that taco shell flavor, you can use straight corn tortilla chips. For a little added zing, you could use nacho cheese chips. For something different, you could use corn chips. Set out all three and give your campers more choices. Whatever doesn’t get used can be snacked on throughout the campout.

At home before you go, you can prep a lot of the ingredients for the bar. I usually survey my campers in advance to determine what they want, and then I build my bar so that there is something for everyone. For example, if no one wants guacamole then I don’t bother bringing it; or, if only a few people want it then I bring a smaller amount, and if everyone wants it then I bring a lot.

At home, vegetables can be shredded, sliced and chopped. Dry seasonings can be pre-mixed. Ranch dressing, guacamole, salsa, picante sauce, and pico de gallo can be made at home if you are making from scratch.

In camp, the only thing to cook is the protein choice and maybe heat up some refried beans. You could brown ground beef, pork, or turkey. If you have the time, in a Dutch oven, you could slow roast beef, pork or chicken and shred it. If I want to keep it simple and fast, I just brown ground beef. I season it with my own taco seasoning (see recipe below).

When it’s time to eat, I set up the taco bar on a serving table. I set bags of chips at the front and at the end because some people like to put chips on the bottom like nachos and others like to break up chips on top like croutons on a salad. Some will even put their chips on the side and use them to dip into all the goodies. Below is a list of possible ingredients for your taco bar, and below that is the recipe for my taco seasoning.

Taco Bar Ingredients
Tortilla Chips, Nacho Cheese Chips, and/or Corn Chips
Refried Beans
Protein (Beef, Turkey, Pork, Chicken, Plant-Based or a Combination), ground or shredded
Shredded Cheese (I use a shredded Mexi-Blend)
Shredded Lettuce
Chopped Cilantro
Sliced Olives
Salsa, Picante Sauce or Pico de Gallo
Guacamole
Sliced Jalapenos or Something Hotter
Ranch Dressing and/or Sour Cream

Taco Seasoning
(This is for 1-pound of ground protein)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cumin
2-3 tablespoons water
3-6 dashes of Tabasco sauce

Prep
On a camp stove, on medium heat, brown ground protein and add seasonings, water and Tabasco. The Tabasco will add a little heat and will combine with the water to give it a little sauciness and help distribute the seasonings; otherwise, the ground protein is very crumbly.

Serves 4-6

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Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger

Today is National Cheeseburger Day. Cheeseburgers are a staple of the backyard BBQ and camping. They are easy on the budget, simple to make, and folks can build their own, which satisfies the picky eaters and those with dietary restrictions. Burgers are completely customizable. And, you don’t have to have it the same way twice. You could probably build your burger different every time and never run out of options.

So how do you build your burger?

The Bun
You need to start with a good bun. Something sturdy that won’t turn to mush or fall apart in your hands. You need a bun that will stand up to the moisture from the condiments and the juice from the burger and keep its structural integrity. Options include, white, whole grain, gluten-free, brioche, kaiser, pretzel, and others. Serve them fresh out of the bag or spread on a little butter and grill them.

The Patty
You need a nice patty of protein. You can go with beef, turkey, pork, chicken, vegetarian or a combination. You can make thin patties and stack on a couple or go with thicker patties. Depending on the thickness, you’ll want to grill about 3 to 4 minutes per side. To test for doneness, insert an instant-read meat thermometer through the side of a burger into the center. The internal temperature should be between 145°F and 165°F, depending on how you like it.

Season your patties with just a little salt and pepper or kick it up with some seasonings like garlic powder, onion powder, ranch dressing dry mix, onion soup mix, and other spices. Make your patties like you would make a meatloaf or a meatball, using breadcrumbs and an egg. You could add a little Worcestershire, liquid smoke, or even beer.

Condiments
The condiment combinations are endless. Here are just a few ideas:

Mayonnaise
Cream Cheese
Relish
Ketchup
Mustard
Thousand Island, aka, Special Sauce
BBQ Sauce
Hot Sauce
Salsa

Extras
Again, endless combinations.

Cheese (too many to list)
Bacon
Lettuce
Pickles (Sweet or Dill)
Tomato Slices
Onion Slices (white, yellow or red)
Onion Rings
Fried Egg
Jalapeños
Coleslaw
Chili
Mushrooms (sautéed or fresh)

When we camp, we like to cook and eat well, but nothing beats a good cheeseburger with a side of potato or macaroni salad, baked beans, or a handful of chips.

However you build your burger, make it a good one!

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Chicken Chow Mein

When we go out for Asian food whether it is dine-in or take-out, chow mein is always one of the dishes we order. It is great as an entrée or as a side dish. It also makes a great camping dish because, for the most part, it is a one-pot recipe. And, I don’t think I’ve met a kid who didn’t like noodles.

We’ve made this recipe a few times and we love it. My son has even gone back for thirds! It is loaded with healthy vegetables and the flavors, particularly the ginger, really pop.

If you need to cook gluten-free, you could easily swap out the Yaki-Soba for gluten-free spaghetti. The flavor and texture will be subtly different, but with all the other flavors going on, you probably won’t notice.

You could serve this as a stand-alone dish or as a side dish. As a stand-alone, it serves 4-5. As a side dish, you could probably double that. If you’re serving as a side dish, you could omit the chicken and do something else with it like Teriyaki Chicken or my Kung Pao Chicken.

You could also serve the chow mein (with or without the chicken) with my Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry. You could serve this with an Asian marinated flank steak. You could serve this with pot stickers, egg rolls or just a simple Asian salad. Really, the possibilities are endless.

A lot of the prep for this could be done at home before you go. In camp, you could make this in a cast-iron wok on a big camp stove or in a Dutch oven on the stove or over coals, or in a large, deep skillet. If all the prep is done at home, you can get this meal on the picnic table in less than 30 minutes, depending on what else you serve with it.

Ingredients
¼ cup soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger or ½ teaspoon dried, ground ginger
¼ teaspoon white pepper
3 (5.6-ounce) packages refrigerated Yaki-Soba, seasoning sauce packets discarded*
1 onion, sliced into half or quarter moons, depending on your preference
3 stalks celery, sliced diagonally
2 cups shredded cabbage
2 cup carrots , shredded or julienne sliced
4 green onions, sliced with whites and greens separated
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts , cut into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons sesame oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Prep
At home before you go, prep the chicken and load into a resealable bag or container. Prep all your vegetables. If you don’t want to shred all the cabbage, you can purchase a bag of pre-shredded (the kind used for coleslaw). The amount of cabbage will look like a lot but it will cook down. The onion, carrot, and celery could all go into a resealable bag or container together since they will all be cooked together. The cabbage and bean sprouts could also be transported together. The green onion should be packaged separately. Mix together the soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, ginger and white pepper and load into a container that can be sealed. Make sure you pack salt, pepper, and sesame oil. You should also pack some extra soy sauce and a hot sauce that folks can add at the table if they choose.

In camp, add some boiling water to a pot or a bowl and add the Yaki-Soba until loosened, about 1-2 minutes; drain well.

In your chosen cooking vessel (wok, Dutch oven, skillet) over medium-high heat, add a couple tablespoons of sesame oil. Add chicken, season it with salt and pepper and stir fry just until cooked through (it will continue to cook as you add other ingredients). Add onion, carrot, and celery, and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the cabbage and the bean sprouts until heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in Yaki-Soba, soy sauce mixture, and white parts of green onion until well combined, about 2 minutes. Total cook time in camp is 15-20 minutes.

Garnish with the green parts of the green onion.

Serves 4-5 as a stand-alone dish or 8-10 as a side dish.

*Yaki-Soba is ramen-style noodles and they can be found in the refrigerated aisle of your local grocery store. In camp, all you need to do is place them in a bowl and pour hot water over them and let them rest for a few minutes to “loosen up.”

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Stroganoff Meatballs

I love the flavors of beef stroganoff. It’s one of my favorite dishes and I have been known to have leftover stroganoff for breakfast and lunch the next day, I love it so much. So, I decided to take my Swedish meatballs recipe and tweak it to a stroganoff and it’s now my favorite meatball recipe.

Stroganoff or Stroganov is a Russian dish of sautéed beef served in an onion, mushroom, and sour cream sauce. The dish is named after one of the members of the influential Stroganov family. I don’t make it with whole mushrooms because a family member can’t have them; however, you could add whole or sliced mushrooms to yours.

For my beef stroganoff recipe, please read my blog post: “Beef Stroganoff on a Camp Stove.”

At home, these can be made in the slow cooker. Meatballs can be served with any kind of rice, rice pilaf or traditional egg noodles. When I made this for adult scouters for an outdoor training weekend, I served it with Uncle Ben’s Rice Pilaf and it was really tasty. I used 12-inch Dutch ovens for both.

You can use store-bought meatballs or you can make your own. For meatball making ideas, please read my blog post: “Make Your Own Meatballs.” I recommend mirroring the flavors that are in stroganoff so you could add paprika, minced garlic, grated onion, and parsley.

Equipment
Pot for the rice or noodles and a pot, skillet or Dutch oven for the meatballs.

Ingredients
26 ounce bag of frozen meatballs
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can beef consommé
8 ounces sour cream
1 medium onion, diced, or 2 tablespoons minced onion
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, on medium heat, mix together all the ingredients except the meatballs. A whisk works really well for mixing. It might be a little lumpy and that’s okay. The sauce will smooth out as it cooks. Add the meatballs. Cover and cook 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally until meatballs are heated through. Start water for your rice or noodles and prepare those as you normally would. In the time it takes for you to make rice or noodles, the meatballs should be done.

An alternate method would be to add the meatballs to a 12-inch Dutch oven, mix the sauce in a medium bowl, and pour it over the meatballs. Bake in a 350°F oven, using 17 coals on the lid and 8 underneath, for 1 hour. Refresh coals as needed.

Garnish with a little chopped parsley or green onion.

Serves 6-8

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Chipotle Pulled Pork

When we’re wanting to make pulled pork sandwiches, this is our go-to recipe. It’s flavorful and packs a nice warm heat. We’ve made this at home in the slow cooker and we’ve made it in camp in a Dutch oven. It’s great for camping, game day, potluck, or BBQ.

Serve on a hearty hoagie roll (pictured below) or bun, including pretzel, brioche, telera (pictured above), or French. Serve it with baked beans and a tangy coleslaw for a winning combination. Some folks will eat the coleslaw on the side and some folks will actually put the coleslaw on their sandwich. It is very tasty that way.

If you’re camping in cool weather and think you’ll have a low fire going all day then this is perfect. Your fire will need to be somewhere between 275°F and 350°F. For stability and easier handling, I would recommend placing a grate over the fire and setting the Dutch oven on the grate. This will allow you to tend the fire underneath the oven without having to disturb your oven.

If you have a tri-pod, you could also suspend your Dutch oven over the fire. You can adjust the height of your oven by adjusting the chain.

Equipment
12-inch Dutch oven (standard or deep, depending on the height of your pork roast), knife, cutting board, measuring cups and spoons.

Ingredients
4 lb pork shoulder or butt roast, whole or cut into pieces
½ cup ketchup
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup minced yellow onion
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chilies or 3 fresh chilies of your choice
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
8 oz chipotle sauce
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Prep
Start 23 coals.

At home before you go, mix together ketchup, brown sugar, onion, chillies, chili powder, cumin, chipotle sauce, salt, and pepper. Load into a container for the ride to camp in your cooler.

In camp, in a Dutch oven, add the pork. Pour chipotle mixture over meat. Mix together until the meat is well-coated.

Bake in a 325°F oven, using 16 coals on the lid and 7 underneath, for 3-4 hours, refreshing coals every hour, which means you’ll want to start coals about 15 minutes before the change of the hour. In a slow cooker at home, cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. You want to reach a minimum internal temperature of 200°F. When its pull apart tender, shred the pork. Serve immediately with hearty sandwich buns and coleslaw. Serves 8

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Ramen Remakes

 

I may be going out on a limb here, but I believe most adults and youth know how to make ramen. Many of my backpacking buddies and scouts rely heavily on ramen because it is lightweight and cooks quickly in boiling water. In college, many of us lived on ramen (if we couldn’t afford mac & cheese). Some adults still live on ramen. Just sayin….

And, while we all love ramen as a quick, simple meal, it’s not a very well-rounded meal. That being said, it is a blank canvas for creating a great, nutritious, well-rounded meal.

For the photograph featured in this blog, I went to my kitchen to see what I could find. From the pantry, I pulled out a package of chicken ramen. I always have a bottle of sesame oil sitting on the counter. In the refrigerator, I found romaine lettuce, red bell pepper, baby carrots, green onion and a piece of leftover grilled chicken. I sliced the romaine and green onion, julienned the pepper and the carrot, and chopped the chicken.

I started the pan of water and added the seasoning packet and a couple dashes of sesame oil. From the fridge, I added a dash of lime juice, a dash of soy sauce, a dash of sriracha (okay, I’ll be honest; it was half a dash of sriracha). I also added a heaping teaspoon of miso paste and a little minced garlic. The leftover grilled chicken was heavily seasoned so I didn’t feel I needed to add any other seasonings. When the water came to a boil, I added the noodles, vegetables, and chicken, and let it all cook for 3 minutes.

As you can see from the photograph, I loaded my bowl. It was an awesome lunch for a typical cold, rainy Northwest day. For the first time in my life, I wanted to drink all the broth after I fished out all the goodies.

For my ramen fans, this would be so easy to do in camp and campers could even customize their bowls. At home before you go, prep a variety of vegetables (dice and julienne small so they will cook quickly), and decide on your flavorings and your protein (because they will influence each other). Pre-cook and dice your protein.

You could also make and pre-cook meatballs for a fun way to add protein to your ramen bowl. For meatball ideas, please see my blog post, “Make Your Own Meatballs.” Eggs are also a great protein to add to your ramen bowl. For ways to add an egg to your ramen bowl, please see my blog post: “Add an Egg to Your Ramen Bowl.”

In camp, set everything out and make your broth. You could further enhance your broth by using beef, chicken, or vegetable broth in place of the water. Each camper throws whatever they want into their bowl, including a package of noodles (folks will need good-sized bowls or you can break the ramen to make it fit). Get the broth up to a good rolling boil and then add a generous amount of broth to each bowl, cover the bowl, and let rest for 3 minutes. Done!  Such an easy lunch and it is nutritious and will sustain you until dinner.

For backpacking, you could use freeze-dried and dehydrated meats and vegetables. Some of the flavorings like soy sauce and sriracha can be found in single-serve packets. We also found powdered sriracha in the spice section of our local grocery store.

Below is a list of ideas. Mix and match to your liking.

Protein
Beef
Beef Jerky
Chicken
Egg (hard-boiled, soft-boiled, poached, fried, or drop)
Hot Dog
Pork (ham, bacon, etc.)
Tofu

Flavorings
Lemon or Lime Juice
Miso
Rice Vinegar
Sesame Oil
Soy Sauce
Sriracha

Vegetables
Bamboo Shoots
Bell Pepper
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrot
Celery
Corn
Edamame
Green Onion
Mung Bean Sprouts
Mushroom
Onion
Peas
Radish
Romaine
Snow Peas
Spinach
Water Chestnuts

Seasonings
Black Pepper
Garlic
Ginger
Salt

Ramen may be one of the cheapest foods in the grocery store, but with a little imagination, it can be one of the most versatile staples in your home and camp pantry, and makes a great launching point for some fast, easy, nutritious meals.

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